


Return of Rin

by Amazingly Hyper (HufflepuffMoonshoes)



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-07-01
Updated: 2013-01-11
Packaged: 2017-12-29 15:08:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1006845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HufflepuffMoonshoes/pseuds/Amazingly%20Hyper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How would Kakashi react if Rin appeared 14 years after she mysteriously vanished from a mission in Suna? How about if she was on a secret mission from Akatsuki to spy on the Jinchuuriki of Konoha? Could her old teammate deal with this betrayal?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

“Rin-chan?” Tobi asked, pushing open a door and bouncing into the room. 

Rin looked up from her task silently, not speaking just yet. The masked ninja had to pause for a moment as Rin’s dark, piercing eyes locked on his. Despite how long the woman had been in the Akatsuki’s custody, she’d always unnerved him. It almost felt like she knew exactly what was behind his orange mask, and that made him feel... exposed, for lack of a better word. 

“Leader-sama sent orders,” he chirped happily. Before she could react, he tossed an envelope on her bed. “You’re going back to Konoha, to keep an eye on the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. Watch out, though; the Leaf ninja might kill you if they find out you’re one of us!” Despite the seriousness of the situation, his voice remained happy and excited, though behind the mask his expression was also grim. 

Rin didn’t move and her expression didn’t change. Tobi noticed the complete lack of a reaction and tilted his head to the side. He’d basically just told her she was free to go, despite having to check in a few times with Leader-sama or Zetsu-san. But no, there wasn’t even a flicker of emotion on her face. She was... different than whom she used to be, before Akatsuki had kidnapped her from Suna in the dead of night. It worried him. 

“Why?” was her reply after a long, unnerving silence. 

“Apparantly we need someone on the inside. Tobi doesn’t know, Leader-sama never tells Tobi anything!” Again with the excited, little-kid voice. “Zetsu-san says Itachi-san and Kisame-san are going on a different mission that doesn’t involve the Kyuubi.”

She stared at him, through the single eyehole in his mask, and he stared back, keeping his eye as blank as possible. Finally, she gave a nod. That calmed him down. No more questions, no more staring... no more reason to stay in that room. He bowed low and straightened up, moving back to pull open the door. 

“Good luck, Rin-chan! Don’t forget to write!” he giggled, wiggling his fingers before escaping the woman’s room. Once the door was shut completely, his shoulders sagged and he sighed. Why did she have to change so much? He missed the old Rin, whose emotions showed all the time, who was always there with a smile when someone picked on him.

“Sorry, Rin-chan. Please forgive me...”


	2. The Unexpected Visitor

“Kakashi-san! Kakashi-san!”

Hatake Kakashi turned, raising a brow when a familiar chuunin came up beside him and leaned over with his hands on his knees to gasp for breath. Undoubtedly, the younger ninja had been looking all over for the Copy-Nin, because there was no other reason for a ninja to be that out of breath. A grin was apparent even behind his mask, as he remained quiet and allowed the teacher to regain his breath. 

“Maa, Iruka-sensei, what’s going on?” the jounin asked after a moment, satisfied that the chuunin wasn’t about to keel over from lack of oxygen within the next few minutes. Normally, ninja of lower rank didn’t search for him, or yell his name in the middle of a crowded street. Certainly not a mere teacher, who had nothing in common with Kakashi except for having taught Naruto. They’d never shared a mission, they’d never shared lunch... hell, they’d barely spoken besides an argument about the Chuunin exam two and a half years ago! What was so important that the younger man would search him out?

“Hokage-sama... wants to see you. Important... says not to be late...” Iruka managed, still gulping in air and looking ready to collapse. Was Kakashi really that hard to find? Sure, he was an elite jounin, but damn.

“I figured... I’ll be there within the hour. Thanks, Iruka-sensei! Have a nice day!” With a poof of smoke, the Copy Nin was gone. Iruka stared blankly at the space he’d been until two seconds ago and his eye widened before narrowing in anger. 

“Kakashi-san!” 

\---

It was an hour and a half later when Kakashi finally strolled into the Hokage’s office. He was happy; a long, relaxing shower did wonders for an exhausted Copy Nin. Plus, he dropped off his mission report only a half-hour late! The surprise on the chuunin’s face that was manning the mission desk was well worth it. 

But even as completely relaxed as he was, nothing could stop the shock when Tsunade and her other visitor looked up at him. His jaw dropped, his one visible eye bulged, and both eyebrows shot up into his hairline. There was just no way. He must be hallucinating because of exhaustion. It was... It couldn’t be real! 

“Kakashi-kun?”

No, even he couldn’t imagine anything that well. It made no sense, though! No sense at all! She wasn’t there, sitting in front of the Godaime Hokage’s desk like she belonged there. She was gone, dammit, had been for over 10 years! It must be a genjutsu, and a pretty damned good one. 

“Kakashi-kun, are you...?” The apparition stood up, reaching out a hand to steady the suddenly dizzy jounin. Only when her fingers gripped his shirt sleeve did he truly react. The young woman found herself pulled in front of the jounin, his hands gripping her shoulders almost painfully, and she held her breath as the famous Copy Nin examined her face closely with his one eye. She took the opportunity to take in how much he’d changed over the years and let her eyes roam the body in front of her.

Hatake Kakashi had always been a thin, lanky boy, from the first day she met him to the day she left Konoha to work in Suna. That hadn’t changed when he became a man, physically instead of mentally, because, honestly, he’d always been a grown-up when they were younger. But she could tell that he wasn’t just skin and bones anymore, with only the muscles needed to be an acceptable shinobi; no, his grip was firm and his slightly tight uniform shirt hinted at muscles underneath. His mask was still in place, as she’d expected, and that hitai-ate was still slanted over Obito’s gift, like it had been when she’d left. What was new, however, was the almost pleading look in his dull gray eye, as though he were begging her silently to be real. He’d filled the jounin uniform quite nicely, flak jacket and all, when before he had refused to look so much like his comrades. And his hair... he still had it in that infuriatingly lopsided way that still looked so cool. 

“Rin...” he finally muttered, his lips’ movement noticeable even behind the mask. “Rin, you’re... you’re alive!” Suddenly, he pulled her forward, into the circle of his arms, and held her there. She was just short enough to fit snug against his chest, his cheek resting against the top of her head, and she found herself in very close contact with the muscles she had admired only moments before. A small frown creased her brow; Kakashi had never been the touchy-feely type, having always opted out of situations where touching would be required. He wasn’t the type for tearful reunions, either, but she was just so happy to be home that she wound her arms around him and let a single tear run down her cheek. 

But what Tsunade and Kakashi didn’t know was that Rin’s tear was not only from her happiness of returning home to Konoha; it was also from the grief she knew she would cause this village and its people when she set it up for destruction. At least she could take Sensei’s son and hide him from the pain that would soon be upon the Hidden Leaf Village. 

Even if hiding him from the village’s destruction meant handing him over to the Akatsuki to extract the Kyuubi, and effectively killing him.


	3. The New Team 7

_Tsunade-sama stared at her for a full minute after the younger woman had entered the large office timidly. The large, busty blonde was no Sandaime, and Rin used the long, drawn-out silence to wonder what, exactly, had happened to the kindly old man who had taken up Hokage again after Sensei’s sacrifice. She had no doubt that he was dead; one didn’t usually give up the seat of Hokage that easily, and the Sandaime had been pretty old._

_“How can I help you?” the Godaime asked, jerking Rin from her thoughts with a flinch and a blush. The older woman raised a brow as Rin’s hands twisted nervously in her lap as the younger wondered what she could say to explain her absence for the past decade or so._

_“My name is Rin. I’m... I used to be a medic-nin for this village,” she began. Tsunade’s eyes widened, but she wasn’t going to stop there. “I was transferred to Suna 14 years ago, to help their medical community...”_

\---

Rin walked through Konoha, her old home, and looked around in wonder and awe. After being trapped in Amegakure for over a decade, she saw only beauty in Konoha, and it made her heart ache to know that she had to help destroy such a place. An elbow nudged against hers, and she glanced at her companion with both eyebrows raised. Kakashi, who had been silent since they left Tsunade’s office, had both hands in his pockets and a serious expression on the limited view she had of his face. For a moment, worry seized her; did he have suspicions of her unexpected return? Did he have any clue of her true mission? 

“Kakashi-kun?”

He glanced over at her, curving his eye into a pleased expression. “Yes, Rin?”

“Are you all right? You don’t look too happy.”

His expression switched back to the serious one instantly. “I’m having a hard time believing you’re really here. It’s like I’m dreaming... and every dream eventually ends. I’m wondering how long this one will last.”

Dear Kami. He really had changed since her departure. It would break him when her true intentions were revealed. It would break her to watch him break. Perhaps... perhaps if she kept her distance... it wouldn’t hurt so bad. 

“Where are we going, Kakashi-kun? I’m tired from my journey home, and I just want to get some rest.”

One silver eyebrow rose at the abrupt change of subject, but he let it go. For now. Later, he’d pursue the subject and find out what, exactly, she was trying to hide. It was obvious to him she wasn’t being completely honest; he’d always been able to read her like a book, and fourteen years apart hadn’t changed that. 

“I’m introducing you to my team.”

“I don’t feel up to any more reunions... maybe I could see them tomorrow?”

“My students, Rin. My little squad of genin, not our friends. You should like them; they’re like us.”

Well, how could she refuse something like that? A genin squad led by Hatake Kakashi... this would be interesting... especially if they really acted like Team 7, back in the day, with Sensei and Obito-kun...

“All right. Let’s meet this squad of yours, Kakashi-kun.”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t mind, seeing as we’re already there.”

Rin glanced up in surprise. It was true; while she had been either lost in her thoughts or in conversation with her old teammate, they’d arrived at the training field. Three kids, whom she supposed were the genin he’d told her about, were seated on the ground, looking decidedly peaceful and quiet. That is, until one of the boys spotted Kakashi and Rin. 

“You’re late again, Kakashi-sensei!” he yelled, jumping to his feet and pointing at them accusingly. “What is it this time? More homeless kittens or puppies? Another old lady with a lot of groceries? Some black cat?”

During the boy’s rant, Rin stared first at Kakashi in disbelief, then at the boy. Kakashi, late? That never happened! Obito had been the late one, the one with horrible excuses for everything. Kakashi... Kakashi was the rulebook personified. Surely he hadn’t changed that much! 

As the rant went on, Kakashi pulled out a horribly bright orange book and opened it to a random page. Rin barely noticed. She was staring at the trio before her, each looking irritated at their teacher. Even then, she could tell that Kakashi had been telling the truth; this team was like theirs, way back in the day. 

The dark-haired boy, the one that hadn’t yet spoken, looked painfully like Obito-kun. They had the same dark hair and eyes, though Obito had never looked quite as serious as this child. His dark gaze swept over Rin with obvious disinterest before turning away and ignoring her completely. The Uchiha crest on the back of his shirt gave it away. So... Kakashi was teaching an Uchiha, though the boy was decidedly this team’s Kakashi instead of Obito like Rin would have guessed. 

The girl, with horribly bright pink hair and a red outfit, was obviously the next generation of Rin herself. She was watching the Uchiha longingly, like Rin admittedly had done to Kakashi all those years ago. There was an aura of intelligence about her, despite the infatuation with the dark, mysterious teammate. The girl had barely noticed Rin, though, so Rin wasn’t too interested in her, either.

The last genin, however, was who had her attention. He looked just like Sensei, from the blonde hair to the bright, bright blue eyes. He was still yelling at Kakashi, who was still ignoring him for the most part, so Rin could observe him easily. She knew who he was without having to ask. This boy, this child, was Sensei’s son, this team’s Obito... her target. The lines on his cheeks were evidence enough of the fox demon sealed within him. She had to get close to the boy, enough for him to trust her enough to follow her if she asked him to. Her plan to distance herself from Kakashi was ruined right then and there. If the jinchuuriki was on his genin team, then she’d have to talk to him to get closer to the kid.

“So!” Kakashi said, interrupting her musings. “Everyone, this is Rin. She’s an old teammate, and a medic-nin. Rin, this is Team 7.” 

It was... Team 7? Their old team number, their old team in the next generation... there was no way it was a coincidence. One glance at Kakashi told her he’d thought so, too. 

“Great, isn’t it?” he asked, curving his eye in a hidden smile. “Makes you think back, huh?” Without waiting for an answer, he turned back to the genin and pointed at them, giving names to faces. “Uchiha Sasuke. Haruno Sakura. Uzumaki Naruto. My students.”

“Ah... nice to meet you all,” Rin said, smiling warmly down at them. Naruto, the blonde one, gazed up at her in surprise. She let her eyes lock with his, trying to judge his power from the Kyuubi to see if he’d be too much of a challenge to just knock out and drag back to headquarters. But no... she was supposed to spy on him, to wait until the Akatsuki were ready to attack Konoha. She would have to wait, and live her old life while she waited. That didn’t sound so bad.

That didn’t sound bad at all...


	4. Zetsu's Visit

“Naruto-kun?”

“Huh?” 

Rin smiled warmly at the boy. He was just like any other child, despite the bijuu living inside of him. Sure, he was hyper and obsessed with village recognition, but what demon-possessed child wouldn’t be? The boy’s endless energy had to come from the Kyuubi somehow, just like his vast amount of chakra. Taking him from Konoha by force might be difficult; there was always a possibility of his anger giving him strength, and she wasn’t too keen on dying by her sensei’s son’s hand.

“Rin-san?”

“Hmm?”

“You got all quiet.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” She scratched the back of her neck sheepishly and blushed. Getting lost in thought just wouldn’t do; she had to get the kid’s trust, one way or another. Buying him ramen seemed to help, but she also had to talk with him for her plan to work. “How do you like training with Kakashi?” she asked after a moment, when he turned back to his fourth bowl of ramen.

The kid made a face around the noodles he was stuffing into his mouth. The sight was so strange and amusing that the woman had to stifle a giggle. She was glad the jinchuuriki was this boy and not the Uchiha... that would have made her job a lot harder than it had to be. Besides... then Itachi-san wouldn’t have let them send her on this mission in the first place.

“Bakashi-sensei focuses on the teme. But I’m gonna pass the Chuunin Exam with or without him!”

_‘Bakashi?’_ She had to hide a grin. Obito had called the Copy-Nin the very same thing, all those years ago. It made her wonder... how would things be different if Obito had survived? Would she be plotting against her own village?

“Sakura-chan agrees with me!” Naruto went on, not noticing her contemplative expression. “We’re his students, too, you know, it’s not just Sasuke-teme. I’m tellin’ ya, Rin-san, Bakashi-sensei needs to start bein’ a real teacher!”

“Want me to talk to him about it?”

_“Nani?!”_

Rin laughed at the boy’s expression. She was glad he’d invited her out for ramen after the meeting, and she had told Kakashi she’d meet up with him later. The man had been reluctant to let her go without him, but there was no argument about it. She’d figured he was just glad she was showing an interest in his widely-unliked student.

“Relax, Naruto-kun. I won’t tell him anything.” What was one more secret, after all?

\---

“Rin-san.”

Her head shot up from the book she was reading. The voice was dreadfully familiar, and her eyes shot toward the windows, then the door. Somebody, anybody, could be watching or listening. It was way too dangerous to the mission. 

“Careful, Zetsu-san. Anyone could be keeping an eye on me.”

**“Open the door.”**

Obediently, she stood and set her book on the table, going over to the door and coming face to face with a blank-faced shinobi with no distinguishing features whatsoever. It was a smart move, an easy way for her to pass on information without getting caught. But... was it a henge, a minion, or some poor, possessed chuunin?

**“Call us Daisuke,”** was the man’s first words, and Rin stepped aside to allow her comrade inside. “We can cast a sound genjutsu to block our words, but we still must be careful for the sake of the mission.”

“Hai. Did you sense anyone before arriving?”

“No. But they might be very skilled at masking chakra. Be careful here, Rin-san. Your old friends may suspect something already.” The disguised Zetsu (she was guessing it was a henge) took a seat on the couch while Rin disappeared into the kitchen to make tea. **“Have you found anything out that would be helpful?”**

“The jinchuuriki’s sensei is Hatake Kakashi, as I’m sure you already know,” she said, choosing her words carefully and keeping her voice distant and disinterested. “Kakashi focuses on Uchiha Sasuke’s training rather than Naruto’s, so it should be easier to convince him to leave the village with me under the guise of individual training. How long am I supposed to stay here?”

“Leader-sama has not given us any sort of time limit. **If anything changes, we will be sure to inform you.”** He took the tea she offered when she joined him in the living room, but didn’t drink it. “Did the Hokage believe your story?”

“Hai. She barely even asked questions. Was the evidence planted?”

The way his eyes narrowed was answer enough. She forced a smile and sipped at her tea. This was her life on the line here; she had to be careful, so she’d had to ask about her cover story. She didn’t blame him for being angry at the question; she knew how it felt to have her abilities questioned.

“Rin-san,” he said after a long, tense silence. “We do have a message from Tobi.”

Her eyes widened just a little; every other sign of her surprise was suppressed quickly. Zetsu watched with a blank face, noting the way her hand tightened on the cup, but didn’t mention it. No use calling her out. For a while he remained silent, letting her take in that she actually might have a friend within Akatsuki. 

“What... what did Tobi say?”

Zetsu gave her a look that said, quite plainly, that he wasn’t going to enjoy this. “Tobi misses Rin-chan!” he said, in a perfect imitation of the hyper, friendly Akatsuki member. “And Tobi hopes Rin-chan misses Tobi too! Watch out for the Copy-Ninja, though, Tobi hears he’s very smart. Tell Sensei Tobi says hi!” Even during the message, the Grass-Nin’s face was as blank and closed off as always, so it felt almost surreal to Rin to hear Tobi’s voice from Zetsu/Daisuke’s mouth.

“We’d better get going.” The henge’d Zetsu climbed to his feet and sat the untouched tea next to Rin’s previously abandoned book. “We will be in touch. **Heed Tobi’s warning; Hatake could mess up everything if he finds out.”**

She could only watch blankly as he opened the door and disappeared. What had Tobi meant, tell Sensei he said hi? She hadn’t told anyone about her past in Konoha... During her contemplation of the cryptic message, a knock came at the door. She heard it as though from a distance away. Another knock, a familiar sigh of irritation, almost Uchiha-like. Wait... Uchiha?! Had Itachi come to Konoha for Sasuke? He could mess up the entire mission! Rin was on her feet in an instant, a kunai in hand and the intent to maim filling her brain. 

The door opened. She attacked... and froze when the weapon was pressed against the throat of her visitor. Her visitor who was _not_ Itachi.

“Kakashi-kun?!”


	5. Welcome Home

_The door opened. She attacked... and froze when the weapon was pressed against the throat of her visitor. Her visitor who was not Itachi._

_“Kakashi-kun?!”_

\---

The Copy-Nin hadn’t moved an inch, from the time the door opened to when he found a weapon at the tender skin of his throat. His breathing was normal, his single visible eye locked on his former teammate’s, and... well, his heart was hammering. She could feel it in the way his chakra was pulsing around them. What the hell was he doing at her apartment, anyway? When she saw him before lunch with Naruto, he’d claimed he had something important to do. Now look where they were; Rin, the quiet, peaceful medic, had a kunai at the famous Copy-Nin’s jugular vein.

Her mind raced. How could she explain her attack? _‘Sorry, Kakashi-kun, I thought you were one of my criminal comrades.’_ Like hell. She could do her mission, dammit, and she didn’t need help. Especially not from Kakashi. He was the one that Zetsu and Tobi had warned her about, the one that could easily ruin the mission. 

“Nice reflexes. Good to see you trained over in Suna, even on hospital duty.”

Her eyes widened and her jaw became slack for a millisecond before she composed herself. That’s what he thought? Well... she had only attacked after he’d opened her door... it was plausible. But could she pull it off? She was taking a pretty big risk, what with Kakashi being the genius he was. She lowered her kunai and adopted a sheepish expression. 

“Ah... sorry, Kakashi-kun. You startled me,” she said softly, blushing with embarrassment. He nodded, accepting the excuse, and Rin moved aside to let him inside. She watched as he looked around, undoubtedly searching for any clue as to what she’d been doing for the past 10 years or so. Maybe pictures of friends she may have made... colleagues, perhaps. But the apartment was still impersonal in that aspect; she hadn’t even put up her most prized possession; the picture of Team 7, before Sensei became Hokage. 

“Expecting company?” he asked offhandedly after a moment, nodding toward where two tea cups were still on her table. He toed off his sandals and moved forward, picking up the book and flipping through it. “If so, I can come back later.”

“Ah, no... he’s already came and left. You just missed him.”

One eyebrow quirked up questioningly, but she’d already grabbed the two cups and walked into the kitchen to wash them. He followed, not ready to give up such an interesting topic of conversation, and was leaning against the counter when she turned around. 

“Who?”

“An old friend from the academy. We ran into each other after Naruto and I split up.” Rin moved to the left, but he was there, blocking her. 

“Name?”

“Kakashi-kun, really. Can I not have friends besides you?”

“Nobody knows you’re here except for me, Tsunade, and my team. Isn’t it just a bit too coincidental that you run into some old friend the day you come back?”

“Are you accusing me of lying?”

“I think you’re covering something up. Like who exactly your friend is.”

She laughed. Seeing Kakashi try his hand at interrogating someone, someone that he knew from his childhood, was too amusing. He was _jealous_. His old teammate returns to the village, and somebody that’s not him visits her in her apartment first. Rin had never thought she’d see the day that Hatake Kakashi would be jealous of someone because of her. 

“His name is Daisuke. He may or may not have seen me enter the village this morning, and decided to say hello when he saw me walking home. Relax.”

He sighed, but let her pass. She walked back to the living room and picked up her book, marking her place with a carefully bent corner. She glanced back to see what he was doing, and started when she discovered him mere inches away, relaxing on the couch, watching her. 

“I have missed you, you know,” he began, in an almost bored tone. “Never thought I’d see you again. But... why come back now?”

Again with the questions. Had he always been that nosy? She repressed a sigh and shook her head, sitting on the couch next to him, yet not too close. 

“Why not? Must I have a reason for everything?”

“You were volunteered to go to help their medical community. You agreed because you couldn’t handle everything that had happened at one time.”

“My assignment was over. I helped them the way they needed to be helped. They didn’t need me anymore, and I missed Konoha. Happy now?”

He shot her a glance which told her, quite plainly, that no, he was not happy now. In fact, he was far from happy, but there was nothing he could do short of forcing her to elaborate. Sure, he was a damned good jounin... but even the most insane of shinobi had their limits, and forcing a comrade to do something against their will was beyond his. Rin lowered her eyes, feeling as though she had intruded upon something she wasn’t supposed to know about, that the raw disappointment and concern in his visible eye hadn’t been meant to be seen or interpreted. 

“It was too different over there, all right?” she said at last, saying the first thing that came to mind to explain her return. “The scenery, the climate, the people... I’m a Leaf shinobi at heart, and that will never change. I didn’t leave to forget about Obito-kun and Sensei... I left to cope. I’m through coping, and I believe in myself to be able to go on without feeling as though I’ve failed them.” 

Kakashi shifted beside her, and her head shot up when she realized his action had closed some distance between them. His gloved hand rested on hers, and she felt the sudden urge to move backwards. No one in the Akatsuki liked physical contact, not even Konan, and she had learned to shy away from it like they did. 

“There was nothing anyone could’ve done,” he was saying softly. “We were in the middle of a war zone, miles from civilization, when Obito got... under that boulder. And Sensei... he made up his own mind, to sacrifice himself for his family and his village.” When her eyes started to stray downward again, his free hand reached up and took hold of her chin, holding her head in place. “Nobody blamed you. Ever. There are things even the best of medics can’t do.”

She felt the almost unfamiliar burning of tears in her eyes, and they widened in alarm. She hadn’t cried in... in years. Crying was a sign of weakness in the Akatsuki, of someone that couldn’t help themselves and deserving of death. As though sensing her horror at the display of such intense emotion, Kakashi released her and stood swiftly. He was halfway to the door when he glanced back at her and gave his two-fingered salute. 

“I’ll see you around, then. And, Rin... welcome home.”

And he was gone.


	6. Visiting the Stone

There it was. The Memorial Stone. The only place that did not forget those who gave their lives for the village. The dark stone glimmered in the bright afternoon sun, looking forbidding yet strangely welcoming at the same time. She paused a few feet away, recalling Tobi’s message: ‘Tell Sensei Tobi says hi!’ How had Tobi known about Sensei? Just thinking about it send shivers down her spine. Kakashi paused beside her, shooting her a worried look. 

“Rin? You okay?”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for this…”

His warm, gloved hand found her cold one and he tugged her forward, closer to the memorial stone. At first she resisted, attempting to pull her hand free and failing miserably before giving up and letting him drag her toward the engraved slab of rock. Once both of them stood before the memorial, Kakashi released her hand and glanced over at her. Rin barely noticed; she had reached out carefully and was running her hand over the names carved into the stone. She was carefully avoiding the ones she had come to see, getting close but never touching them. At one point, her fingers grazed over the name of the Third Hokage, and she nearly flinched backward. The Sandaime had always been kind to her, had been the one to suggest the relocation to Suna… and he had loved Konoha so dearly. Rin could almost picture his face full of disappointment at her mission and grief that she had fallen so far. 

“Hey Sensei, Obito.”

She really did flinch that time, glancing at her old teammate. Kakashi was staring at the memorial stone, his expression carefully neutral and his voice strangely flat. 

“It’s me again… but this time I brought someone I’m sure you missed.”

Her breath caught in her throat. No… she wasn’t ready for this, to stand in front of her sensei’s name, her old friend’s name, on the stone and act as though she still belonged here in Konoha. “Kakashi-kun…”

“That’s right. Rin’s back from Suna. Remember, I told you when she left. It’s been fourteen long years, but she came home like we knew she would.”

“Kakashi-kun, please, I…”

“She’s just nervous. It has been a while.” He turned to smile at her, if the way his mask moved was any indication. “Come on, Rin. It would do you some good.”

“I can’t, Kakashi-kun! I’m not… I can’t do this!”

“Look, you don’t even have to do it out loud. They’ll hear either way.”

She was afraid he’d say that. 

_‘Ano… hi, Sensei, Obito-kun. I… I’m not going to lie to you, because I’m sure you already know why I’m back home…. I never thought it’d happen like this, I swear…’_ Rin reached out and brushed her fingertips over her sensei’s name, tracing the letters idly. _‘After I left, I actually didn’t figure I’d ever come back. Then the Akatsuki came, and, well… I’m one of them now. It may not have been my intention, but…’_ She moved her eyes over to Obito’s name, farther up than Sensei’s had been. _‘I am now an enemy to Konoha, and I’m going to go through with my mission. And if Kakashi-kun gets in my way…’_

She glanced over where Kakashi stood, waiting on her. He looked up and curved his visible eye in a smile. 

_‘I’ll have to dispose of him.’_


	7. Gaining Friendship

“Rin-san!”

Rin glanced back behind her, smiling when she recognized that mop of spiky blonde hair. Kakashi raised a brow when Naruto reached them and clung fast to Rin’s left arm, but didn’t comment. Rin had to physically steel herself from flinching away from the genin’s warm grip, reminding herself that he only housed the Kyuubi and wasn’t the Demon Fox himself. It helped, but only a little. She realized sadly that she would never be able to see Naruto as anything but a jinchuuriki, no matter how friendly the boy was and how close he grew to her. 

“Hai, Naruto-kun?” she asked after a moment, snapping out of her thoughts. “Did you need something?”

“Can we go out for ramen? I told Iruka-sensei we’d meet him at Ichiraku’s!”

“Naruto-kun, why didn’t you come ask me first? What if I had other things going on?”

“Aww, please, Rin-san? Iruka-sensei was really looking forward to meeting you!”

Rin looked over at Kakashi, noticing that he was still buried in his book. No help there, she thought, switching her gaze back to the genin on her other side. “Fine, fine, I’ll go with you to meet Iruka-san. But next time, give me more warning, all right?”

“Yosh!” Naruto tightened his grip on her arm and started to pull her in a different direction that she had been going to begin with. Rin caught herself hoping that Zetsu wasn’t waiting for her at her apartment to deliver news from Leader-sama. If she were late returning home while the Akatsuki’s spy was waiting for her, he would be irritable, and when Zetsu was irritable, Zetsu was hungry. She fought down a shiver. 

“I’ll see you later, all right, Kakashi-kun?” she called back to the jounin. He merely raised his hand in acknowledgement, but Rin could feel the irritation in his chakra. Soon enough, though, she could no longer see him or feel the pulsing of his chakra. That did nothing to calm her worries, though; Kakashi was the only surefire ally she had in Konoha, at least until she revealed her true colors. Who knew how Iruka-san would think of her. 

“Here we are, Iruka-sensei! I told you I’d bring her!”

Dragged from her musings, Rin took her first look at Naruto’s closest friend and favorite teacher. He looked… motherly. Brown hair, surely longer than her own, was pulled back into a high ponytail, reminding her of the Nara clan; an open, earnest expression that did nothing to quell her worries; caramel-colored skin, so different from the pale ivory of Kakashi’s, and the warmest chocolate-colored eyes she had ever seen. 

“Hello,” the chuunin said, beaming at her. “You must be Rin-san. Naruto talks about you all the time.”

“Oh, really?” Rin glanced at the boy, who promptly blushed and released her arm. “Nice things, I hope?”

“But of course. Please, sit. Did Kakashi-sensei not feel up to joining us?”

“Uh… I didn’t think to ask if he wanted to come along. It was so sudden that it completely slipped my mind. I should apologize later; we haven’t really been able to hang out since I got back.” She smiled sheepishly and sat on a stool on the opposite side of Naruto. Her eyes swept over the menu that the stall owner placed in front of her, and she noticed that neither Naruto nor Iruka had one. In fact, they were making idle conversation, obviously waiting on her, which meant they already knew exactly what they wanted. 

“What’ll it be, miss?” the old man asked after a moment. 

“Ah, miso soup with eggplant, please.” Rin smiled and handed back the menu, turning to face her two lunch companions. Only then did she realize that they were staring at her blankly. “What?”

“That’s the same thing Bakashi-sensei always orders!” Naruto exclaimed. “I didn’t know you two liked the same food!”

“You didn’t know me until about a week or so ago,” she replied, smiling down at him. “But yes, Kakashi-kun and I used to always get miso soup with eggplant all the time when we were younger. I haven’t had it in so long, not since I left. Is that a problem?”

“You two were really close, ne, Rin-san?”

“Yes… Kakashi-kun and I were very close. In the end, we were all that was left of our team. And then I was sent to help Suna with their medical program…” She sighed softly. “It’s a wonder Kakashi-kun is so cheery all the time. He used to be so serious and cold!” 

Naruto laughed. “You mean Bakashi-sensei was like the teme? No way!”

Iruka ruffled the boy’s hair. “Believe it or not, Naruto, but it’s true. He was even worse than Sasuke. I remember seeing him around the village in my days at the academy. He ignored everyone, even his teammates when they walked with him.”

“Nani?! But Bakashi-sensei is nothing like Sasuke-teme!”

Rin laughed. “Shows what you know, Na-ru-to!” she sang, poking him in the cheek. Naruto whined and pushed her hand away, before turning to the steaming bowl of ramen that the stall owner placed in front of him. Rin watched as his face lit up, and as he put his hands in front of him and bowed before snapping his chopsticks in half and digging in. All of it was just like Sensei… She smiled softly, turning to her own bowl. It sure felt like home again…

“So, Rin-san… what brings you back to Konoha?”

The kunoichi tensed. What was with everyone questioning her return to the village? Couldn’t a girl just come home without being questioned at every turn? With a mental sigh, she forced herself to relax and smile at the chuunin, who couldn’t have had any idea why she reacted like she did. “Well… Suna’s very different. Yondaime Kazekage-sama… wasn’t as open and friendly as Sandaime Hokage-sama was. And what with all of the turmoil right now, trying to find a Godaime Kazekage, it’s just very hectic and I missed the Hidden Leaf.”

“You came from Suna?! That means you know Gaara!” Naruto exclaimed, his mouth full of noodles. Rin winced at the vision, but Iruka scraped the boy’s head with his knuckles in a silent reprimand. Naruto swallowed and tried again. “Right, Rin-san? You know Gaara, right?”

“Gaara?” She had to think. Was this Gaara actually someone she would know, if she had really been in Suna? “You mean Yondaime Kazekage-sama’s youngest son?”

“Yeah!”

Of course Naruto would know about Gaara, the jinchuuriki of the one-tail. That was Sasori and Deidara’s target, no doubt; she’d overheard the two talking about Suna, but Sasori was reluctant to go just yet because one of his puppets wasn’t ready for battle. Crazy old man. “I saw him a few times. We never actually spoke. He isn’t… exactly the most popular of children.”

“He’s really strong! I fought him just after the Chuunin Exam!”

“Naruto, eat,” Iruka said firmly.

“Hai!”

Rin giggled as the child promptly turned back to his food. “You’ve trained him well, Iruka-san.”

Iruka just smiled at her, and both of them snapped their chopsticks cleanly in half and began to eat.


	8. The Reunion

“You’re late.”

“I’m sorry, Daisuke, but Naruto dragged me off to lunch,” Rin said carefully, setting her weapon pouches on the table next to the front door. “I met Umino Iruka-san, one of the sensei from the academy. Ever met him?” _Is he dangerous? >/i>_

_“I do not make a habit of going near the academy.” _He is nothing.__

_Rin nodded, and went about making tea. There was a quick glance toward the windows, but there was no point in mentioning their watcher; Zetsu already knew he was there, no doubt. Probably before she even knew. Which wasn’t good at all; Rin was supposed to be the undercover agent, the one whose very life was in danger the moment she came under suspicion. But then again, Zetsu’s specialty was infiltration, and he’d avoided capture millions of times because of his acute sense of well… sensing people._

_“So I talked to Kakashi-kun earlier today,” Rin called, feeling the sudden flare of chakra before its owner clamped down on it. Interesting… “Right before Naruto found us.”_

_“What did he want?”_

_No hidden message there. “Oh, you know. To catch up. It’s been a long time, after all.”_

_“Careful, Rin-san. I might get jealous.” The statement was meant to appear as light banter, but his flat voice made it seem oddly sinister. Besides that, the hidden message gave her chills. _There’s no point. You’re going to have to kill him anyway._ Yes, she knew she had to kill Kakashi, Iruka, and everyone else in the village, but she hadn’t been given a time limit. Surely she could lead a relatively normal life until Leader-sama gave Zetsu such a limit._

_“So get jealous,” she replied, adding a pretty convincing giggle at the end. “It’s not like our friendship is going to change any.”_

__He won’t change my mind._ _

_The disguised Zetsu nodded thoughtfully, or at least that’s what she assumed. It was impossible to discern his expressions, even as Daisuke the weak, easily-overlooked chuunin that had suffered who-knew-what in order for the Grass-nin to steal his face and identity._

_“Be careful, though, Rin-san. He has many enemies around every corner that wouldn’t hesitate to capture and use you against him.” _We’ll be close by, just in case.__

_“Don’t worry about me. I’m a kunoichi, remember? And a damned good one at that.” _I don’t need any help.__

_“Well. I must be going. They are all probably wondering where I am. Thank you for the tea, Rin-san.” With that, he left, thankfully through the door like a normal person. Rin sighed, juggling two cups of tea as she went into the living room. She’d figured he wouldn’t touch it, and had barely filled one so as to look like he did. She was becoming far too used to compensating for Zetsu. It was almost as though they were… partners. The very thought was ludicrous; the emotionless ex-Grass-nin, one of the best infiltrators in the world, partnered with the emotional Konoha medic-nin that had essentially been kidnapped and forced into leaving her home. Ha!_

_Someone knocked on the door politely, also sending out a chakra flare to brush against hers, dragging her from her thoughts. Rin smirked lightly. So he had finally decided to show himself. She set her cup down loudly and Zetsu’s very carefully before going to the door and opening it._

_“Oh, hello, Gai-kun. What brings you here?”_

_The Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha stood in her doorway, staring at her blankly for a moment. Unlike Kakashi, he hadn’t changed one bit. His shiny black hair that she’d always envied, those monstrous eyebrows that had creeped her out as a child, the horrible green spandex he had always worn… but his bright, warm grin, complete with twinkle, was nowhere in sight. That worried her, beyond anything. She knew Gai, quite well, and if he wasn’t smiling, either he was thinking deeply or he was ready to pummel someone into the ground just for the fun of it – which meant he was very, very angry._

_Rin hoped it was just the shock of seeing her again that had the Taijutsu master so somber._

_“Rin-chan,” Gai said after a moment, his normally booming voice quiet and contemplative. “May I come in? I want to speak to you about something.”_

_“Something you overheard, perhaps?” Her tone was far sharper than she’d meant it to be, but Gai just frowned. The expression looked as weird as hearing Tobi’s voice come from Zetsu’s mouth. Rin winced inwardly, but stepped back to allow the jounin entrance into her apartment. Gai nodded once, polite as ever, and stepped inside, forcing Rin to move backwards or risk being within an inch of the large man. He removed his sandals, and moved further into the apartment, toward the couch where Zetsu had been sitting only moments before. Rin quirked a brow at his strange behavior and closed the door before following suit._

_“I know why you’ve come back,” Gai said at last, turning to face her._

_“Oh? Do tell.”_

_“I have no doubt that you noticed how much my Eternal Rival has changed during your absence. He is not the same man he was when you left, Rin-chan. He is… fragile, regarding social interactions. As much as it pains me to say it, he is more socially awkward than I myself.”_

_Rin resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He had to be kidding. Kakashi had always been socially awkward. “Gai-kun, would you please get to the point?”_

_“If you hurt him, Rin-chan, you’ll have to answer to me. I will trust you as a comrade, but as long as you hold his heart, you will be nothing more to me until you prove that you deserve his affections.”_

_“What…?”_

_“That is all. Thank you for your time.” Gai turned and walked back to her door. “Remember what I said, Rin-chan. I promised myself I would not let my Rival fall prey to a woman who desires the Copy-Nin and not Kakashi himself, and that I would protect him in any manner I could. Consider this your warning.”_

_And he was gone, closing the door behind him with a sharp click. Rin stared after him, finally sinking to her couch. As long as she… held his heart? Deserve his… affections? Gai almost made it sound like Kakashi loved her. That couldn’t happen. It would endanger the mission. She couldn’t fall in love, certainly not with Kakashi. He would never leave the village with her…_

_“What am I gonna do?” she groaned, hiding her face in her hands._


	9. Chapter 9

**“Rin-san.”**

Rin felt his presence before he even spoke, and was already sitting up and throwing her covers back. She glanced at the clock before sighing silently to herself; it was just past 3 am, and she had only gotten to bed at half past midnight. But the medic knew better than to even voice her thoughts. If Zetsu had felt the need to visit her apartment at this ungodly hour, then it was very, very important. Without speaking just yet, Rin went around the small bedroom and made herself presentable, pulling on warmer clothes over her pajamas, before pulling open the door and coming face to face with ‘Daisuke’. 

“I’m ready,” she said firmly, not letting herself give her warm, welcoming bed a longing glance as she pulled the door closed behind her. 

The disguised Grass-nin just gave her a calculating look as she moved past him, not sparing him another glance. Rin just wanted to get it over with, so she could return to her normal life and stop the hollow feeling in her chest. She hated being back in Konoha, because she knew what was going to happen to the people in it and that it was her fault. Naruto, Iruka, Kakashi… they’d be devastated by her betrayal, and it was killing her to look in their eyes and see the warmth, the trust, that they held for her. 

“Come on, then, Zetsu-san. Leader-sama would hate it if we were late.”

“You seem eager to see him. **Did something happen?”**

“No.”

She had answered far too quickly; she realized it when she turned and found herself only a foot from him. He was frowning, the expression looking normal on ‘Daisuke’s’ face yet feeling alien because she knew who was under that mask. Zetsu didn’t show emotions… not unless his white side and black side split up; his white half tended to laugh maniacally. Rin had seen him split in half before… she didn’t want to repeat the experience. 

“Rin-san, what happened?”

“Don’t worry about it, Zetsu-san. Let’s just get going. I have to be up early for some training with Naruto-kun.”

**“Very well. But next time, we won’t give up so easily.”**

\---

“Rin-chan! You’re back!”

Rin waved wearily at the orange-masked man as she and Zetsu passed. It hadn’t taken them much time to get from Konoha to the hideout, mostly due to Zetsu’s ability to travel within the ground, but maintaining her chakra so she wouldn’t get stuck had taken its toll on the kunoichi. “Hey, Tobi. Sorry I haven’t kept in touch,” she said, attempting a smile at the hyperactive shinobi. Tobi just laughed and waved his hand dismissively. 

“Don’t worry about it, Rin-chan, Tobi knows the Copy Ninja’s been giving you trouble!”

Rin tensed. Zetsu noticed and paused instead of moving on without her. The kunoichi turned to face Tobi, her expression frozen in surprise. How… Kakashi wasn’t giving her trouble! He was just… it was… “What are you talking about, Tobi?”

“Come on, Rin-chan, Tobi knows! Rin-chan used to have a crush on the Copy Ninja, and now Rin-chan’s back in Konoha spending a lot of time with him!”

“Wha… that has nothing to do with this, Tobi!”

“Come along, Rin-san. **Leader-sama is waiting for us.”**

Rin glanced back at Zetsu, her eyes clearly expressing her shock, but the Grass-nin merely met her gaze. She wasn’t going to get anything out of him, she realized, and Tobi certainly wasn’t going to explain himself. So the kunoichi just sighed and started walking toward the large meeting room. She felt Zetsu fall into step beside her, something else that confused the poor woman; Zetsu always walked in front, never beside. It gave the feel of equality, and nobody was equal to Zetsu in the plant man’s eyes. Despite how very wrong it was, Rin accepted the gesture for what it was –the acknowledgement that Rin wasn’t just some weakling- and let her feet take her to where the organization’s leader was waiting. 

They reached the large doors, and there Rin hesitated. It had been a few months since she’d been sent on this mission… she had finally started to feel like she was where she belonged again. But now, to be summoned in the dead of night, something had changed. Maybe Leader-sama thought she was planning on making a break for it, and running from the organization back into the protection that Konoha supposedly offered her? Or perhaps they had finally decided that her charade had gone on long enough?

**“Rin-san.”**

“It’s _nothing_ , Zetsu-san.”

With a deep breath, Rin grasped the doorknob and turned it. As usual, the door swung open easily, without so much as a creak, but there was something more sinister in the darkness that awaited the duo. Rin glanced sideways at Zetsu, but the ex-Grass-nin didn’t spare her any more thought; he moved forward, into the room, to take a seat at the large table beside the shadowy figure of Leader-sama.

“Rin-san. Glad to see you could make it.”

Rin walked into the room, letting the door swing shut behind her and casting her into darkness. Her eyes adjusted quickly, but that did nothing to soothe her nerves. “Of course, Leader-sama.”

“We haven’t had a report from you in quite a while, Rin-san. Has your position been compromised?”

“No, sir. If it had, I would have sent word back with Zetsu-san instead of sneaking away in the middle of the night.”

“Explain yourself.”

Rin shifted her weight, feeling Itachi’s glare from across the room. “I’ve been kept busy. Hatake approached me, as expected, and I have gotten close to the Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto. If you give me a little more time, I can probably convince him to leave the village with me of his own free will.”

“We don’t have much time left to give,” Leader-sama said easily, leaning forward on the table. Rin was able to make out his strange ringed eyes… and the sight sent chills down her spine. “Your time in Konoha is running out, Rin-san. We plan to attack in two months’ time. If you haven’t managed to get the Kyuubi out of the village by then, I will have Sasori take over.”

“…Hai, Leader-sama. Understood.”

“Now then… I want a full report on what you’ve learned in Konoha.”


End file.
